


One Step Closer

by EllOnWheels



Series: Drag Me Up From Down Here [4]
Category: Captain America (Movies), Iron Man (Movies), Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: Angst, Angst with a Happy Ending, Bot Feels, Bot Love, Fix-It, Fluff and Angst, M/M, Tony Stark Has A Heart, Tony Stark Has Issues, Tony Stark Needs a Hug, inappropriate Peggy Carter jokes, made by Steve
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-11-25
Updated: 2015-11-25
Packaged: 2018-05-03 08:22:51
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,730
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5283623
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/EllOnWheels/pseuds/EllOnWheels
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Tony gets some damn sleep, educates everyone on how to educate an A.I, bemoans social media, and continues his conversation with Steve about just how he ended up like he did... Also, there are waffles. Trust Barton to ward off emotional collapse with waffles.</p><p>Slow build Stony.</p><p>Reading part 2 & 3 of this series will be required for this to make sense.</p>
            </blockquote>





	One Step Closer

**Author's Note:**

> You will definitely need to read part 2 and 3 of this to make sense. It'll be worth it.

_Even when I've fallen down_  
_My heart says follow through_  
-Michael Franti

Tony slept. For what felt like the first time since the arc reactor had come out, he slept. It was a deep sleep, with no interruptions and no nightmares. He slept so long that Rhodey and Steve called FRIDAY to ask about Tony's well being. She assured them cheerily that "The boss is still down for the count, gents." Rhodey asked her to ping his phone when he woke, or if she thought Tony needed them.

FRIDAY also merrily diverted calls from the R&D department, a few board members, and Pepper Potts herself. She only explained Tony's absence to Pepper, her protocols still set to reassure S.I.'s CEO that things were fine. She told Pepper where Tony was, and Pepper became quietly fond of FRIDAY when she also explained that she'd called Steve on her own initiative to come fetch Tony, and thanked the young A.I. for her dedication to her creator.

Inevitably, Pepper asked about how Tony was, and FRIDAY, with her want to protect Tony, got a bit mixed up with her protocols to inform Pepper of needed information. So she knew that she would appear to be blunt to Ms. Potts, but she could blame it on her relative youth. "Well he's not good, Ms. Potts. He needs help... But he's talking. He suffered an emotional collapse after you said you weren't coming back. He went almost catatonic for a few hours and wouldn't respond to me, and that's when I called Captain Rogers to intervene. He told Captain Rogers about Afghanistan and the aftermath involving Mr. Stane. Piece of absolute shite that he was." FRIDAY said. The burst of profanity though caught Pepper off guard and she had to laugh a little. JARVIS never would have been so forthcoming about his feelings. "But as I said, he's talking. Colonel Rhodes is here, and Mrs. Rhodes has been in contact... And the boss is taking a shine to Vision, Ms. Potts. It's promising."

Pepper held back her tears and steadied herself. "Tell Tony that I'll handle the board and R&D for a little while... And tell him... that I'm sorry." She said. The sincerity of the statement softened FRIDAY's demeanor somewhat.

"He already knows that, Ms. Potts, though he doesn't think you have anything to apologize for. He knows he's been impossible to live with... But I will tell him. He told Captain Rogers and Colonel Rhodes that he hopes what happened between you won't turn you away from S.I., and that you're the best CEO the company has ever had. He also said some time away would be good, to relearn boundaries, and how to be your friend and co-worker again." FRIDAY said amiably.

Pepper bit her lip and wiped an escaping tear away with her knuckle. She sniffed and smiled. "Tell him I'm not going anywhere, and that I hope the same thing for us." 

"Sure thing, boss lady." FRIDAY said affectionately.

"Boss lady?"

"He's the boss. You're the boss lady. Sorry for the gender dimorphism, it's just that I speak with him more often. Otherwise I'd call him boss man... Though come to think of it, I do do that sometimes." FRIDAY said. Pepper laughed softly.

"Thank you so much for helping him, FRIDAY. Please keep me updated on how he is."

"Sure thing."

"Thank you FRIDAY, bye."

"Bye, Ms. Potts."

FRIDAY and Dum-E watched over Tony quietly. For once he hadn't moved much in his sleep, another sign of physical and emotional exhaustion. Tony started stirring around noon, and FRIDAY sent out a text to Rhodey that Tony was about to wake, most likely peacefully. Rhodey smiled and set about putting on a fresh pot of coffee in the kitchen and asked FRIDAY to send along the message for Tony to meet him there.

Clint and Natasha had rolled in during the wee hours of the morning, and had suffered somewhat from not having the same kind of intel they used to be provided with from a fully funded SHIELD. It was both good and bad news that they had encountered the Winter Soldier in South America, while hunting down a rumour about Bruce Banner's whereabouts. The encounter had ended up more of a stumbling across, and Barnes had actively tried to avoid engaging them. Shots had only been fired across their proverbial bow, but it had caused enough local attention that both Barnes and Banner would have bugged out if Bruce had been there at all.

Steve had taken the news about Bucky rather well, accepting that as much as he wanted to bring his friend in, that he would probably never be the same Bucky he once knew. He gained some hope from the fact that Bucky had chosen escape over a fight though. His gut wanted him to run down to Peru and start the search all over again. But it was bad logic. Bucky would be long gone by now, and the only time one realizes how large the world is, is when you're looking for a specific person.

The thought of Tony kept Steve grounded. It was too early to leave whatever it was they had growing between them, and Tony was in no condition to participate in a mission of any kind. He seemed thin enough that the merely being in the armour might bruise him now.

Bucky had survived this long, and would continue to do so. Clint and Natasha had claimed that he appeared to be in good health, and that the prosthetic appeared to be in fine working order. Tony was another matter. He needed people right now, ones he could trust, lest his demons got the better of him.

Tony wandered into the kitchen, still in his sleepwear, which hung off of him, with thick socks on his feet to keep the cold away. Clint immediately perked up. "Stark? What happened to you?" Tony paused his conversation he was having with FRIDAY via his phone about overnight production numbers from overseas.

"I've had a shitty couple of months, Barton, I don't need your overreaction at the moment." Tony said. An imperious glare settled on his face.

"No." Clint said. His voice, face, and body all instantly softened. "No, I didn't mean it that way... You look... malnourished. Like, clinically malnourished. Trust me, I was a runaway that fell in with a circus, I know the signs."

"I'm fine." Tony said. "I eat well."

"One does not thrive on smoothies and dried fruit alone, Tony... Extremis is still active in you, right? Heals you at an accelerated rate, right? You've got to give yourself fuel to do that. Otherwise your body is going to start eating itself... Look how ragged your fingernails are, man... That's not a good sign." Clint said gently. Tony sighed heavily and looked for a moment like might bolt from the kitchen. But Barton, to his credit, was always thinking on his feet.

"Hey, Rhodey bought the Captain America Shield waffle maker. Interested?" Clint asked softly.

"Oh god, really? I can't believe they actually made that thing after we signed off on the license." Tony said, and shook his head. He stayed where he was, glad of the subject change, and looking around for coffee.

"I'm making waffles for brunch then." Clint declared. Because despite the fact that he was tired, sore, and had a bullet graze to the cheek that he was going to have to explain to his wife, he was suddenly in the mood for novelty waffles. If only to distract Tony from what Clint had pointed out, and was glaringly obvious. The best way to do that would be to start to solve the problem, especially for someone like Tony. The fact that Clint's mind had shifted to over-protective daddy mode could be written off due to the baby at home, and he would stick to that story.

Steve poured Tony a glass of orange juice and set it on the counter while looking at Tony meaningfully. "OJ first, then coffee." Steve insisted.

"I'm really that pathetic, aren't I?" Tony asked and sighed again.

"No, you're not pathetic. You're damaged. It's okay, Stark. That's basically everyone here." Natasha reasoned, and freshened up her own glass of orange juice. "Now that I think about it, it really is everyone here... We were all taught to project normal over the damage. Difference between you and the rest of us, is that the global economy doesn't take a hit when we can't keep it together."

Tony looked down at his hands for a moment, observing his torn and brittle fingernails. His hands were always in the process of healing some incident in the shop or other, and he hadn't honestly noticed. Rhodey nudged a stool away from the stainless steel counter, and indicated that Tony should take a seat. "Sit down and drink your juice. Coffee is at the end of that mission." He said affectionately. Tony resumed the conversation he was having with FRIDAY via text. Vision and Wanda came through the galley doors, Dum-E on their heels beeping at notes that indicated he was pleased about something.

"Hey, you brought R2." Clint said with a smile as he folded ingredients together as Steve retrieved them.

"R2?" Vision asked.

"It's from a movie." Tony said quietly, and looked up from his phone. "R2-D2 was a designation for a fictional robot in the Star Wars films. Because Dummy and R2 have what sounds like a similar language to Barton's tin ear, he calls Dummy R2." Tony then turned to Rhodey. "What have you been teaching him, man? Cultural milestones are an essential for any constructed intelligence that we expect function at an adult level."

"I'm an aeronautical engineer. You're the one who builds functioning minds. A.I. was always your gig, not mine." Rhodey said.

"But you helped teach the bots and JARVIS. It's not all that different."

"I'm sorry that in the aftermath of Ultron that I neglected to deem it necessary to make Vision watch Star Wars." Rhodey said. His voice was all gentle teasing and held no frustration.

"No, that's when it's the perfect time... Star Wars, anything like that. Vision has JARVIS' compassion for humanity in his primary protocols. But he's got to learn to love people all on his own. Epic tales like Star Wars show people at their best and worst selves. How they wish they could be, and what they should aspire to be." Tony said, looking back down at his phone, and quickly typing something off to FRIDAY.

"Well, it's a good thing you're here now then, isn't it?"

"Yes, yes it is. Vision, you and I have a movie date... Unless you guys have already got a movie night worked out and I'm fucking with the schedule." Tony said, his distracted confidence fading as he remembered everything else going on in the world. It had been a sore point with Stane and Pepper as well, when he got off on a jag to teach his A.I.s something new. But he wasn't at home, and he wasn't in charge here, and he couldn't afford to step on anyone's toes.

Steve didn't try to either coddle or disturb Tony's confidence, wondering how little the man actually thought of himself, though he knew it wasn't much. Instead, he just smiled at Tony. "I think that's a great idea. Everyone?" He asked.

"I'm in. I'll call Laura and tell her I'll be home tomorrow. She won't mind. That's still early." Clint said. "Hey, R2, what are you up to?" The bot had reached over and was investigating a hole in the old work shirt that Clint was wearing, which was probably something Laura had banished from the house. "Well all right, but if you get waffle batter in your servos, it's YOUR fault."

"Dummy, com'on, say hi and leave him alone." Tony said gently. Dum-E angled up and waited. Clint thought for a moment, and then offered Dum-E a fist bump, which the bot eagerly returned. As Dum-E pulled away, he spread his claw the same way that Clint spread his fingers.

"He's no bother, Tony. I got kids. No offense, R2, but you just can't compare to the chaos of human children, no matter what your dad says... Besides Tony, I think it's a good idea you brought him with you. I think you both needed others around." Clint said, and Dum-E carefully moved off. When the batter was mixed, he started pouring it into their ridiculous novelty waffle maker. Clint kept his eyes off of Tony directly, but he didn't miss Tony's expression that looked like he might cry for a moment. Instead he just looked fondly at his hapless bot, who wasn't nearly as hapless as he put on.

Clint topped the first waffle with vanilla yogurt, whipped cream, and entire handfuls of blueberries and raspberries. He grinned as he set in front of Tony. "Good god, it's so... Patriotic." Tony said, carefully eyeing up the visible star on the waffle and the colour scheme. "It's like Uncle Sam and an IHOP did a circle jerk onto my plate."

"'Murica." Clint agreed and snapped a photo with his phone as Tony smirked and cringed at Clint. "That's another one for the team's Instagram account. This is gonna trend like a motherfucker."

"Are you kidding me? I don't remember the last time I saw a barber." Tony said.

"Who cares? Let 'em see the softer side of Stark." Clint teased, not looking up from his phone.

"Only because I'm so damn fluffy at the moment." Tony grumbled, and ran a hand through the back of his hair, noting that he needed a shower. Steve and Rhodey shared a smile. Banter with Clint was a good sign for Tony.

"Eat." Clint insisted, and slid a fork within Tony's reach, and while not touching it, left his hand close to the utensil. The gentle, almost parental, prod made Tony only hesitate minimally. Watching the meal prepared had helped, and it only took him a moment to overcome his anxiety about taking the fork. He still inspected it though, but it was better than he'd been yesterday.

No one brought up how long Tony had slept, other than to ask if the bed was comfortable enough. "Tell you the truth, I don't know. I was too busy sleeping on it." Which made everyone smile.

About thirty minutes later Maria Hill walked into the kitchen behind Sam, and didn't make a sound about everyone piled up in the kitchen for an extended brunch on a weekday. After being awake half of the night completing the necessary paperwork for Natasha and Clint, she was mulling over how to sneak away for a nap. Clearly desperate measures wouldn't be needed today. She smiled at Tony, who had made it most of the way through his meal, and held up her phone. "Clint's photo is trending already." She said. Clint threw up his arms in victory. "People think your lumbersexual look is kinda hot in a DILF sort of way. They're all worried about how thin you look though. This is the first they've seen of you in months... Upside is yesterday's #TonyCameHome and now #WafflesForTony are a sympathetic cry for your mental stability." She said and set her phone down to retrieve a cup of coffee. Tony gave her a pleasant expression. He always did like her commitment to reality.

"Wait, yesterday? What did you idiots put up yesterday? I was in NO space to be having my photo taken yesterday." Tony said, his eyes narrowing. Rhodey held up a hand, and pulled out his phone to send Tony the shot of him, Vision, and Dum-E walking up the hallway. Tony's phone buzzed, and that beyond all reasonable modern tech glass screen lit up with the photo. Tony picked it up and his mouth hung open for a minute. "You sent this to your mother, didn't you?"

"Didn't have to. She tracks most Avengers related social media." Rhodey said. Tony's head dropped and he let out a quiet laugh.

"You're a dork, Rhodes. And so it is your mom."

"Yes, but I'm a dork who's helping recover your public image. Seriously, how cute are you for a middle aged white dude?"

"Born this way, baby." Tony said.

"Oh, Lady Gaga." Vision said.

"Seriously, he knows about Gaga, but not R2-D2? I got here just in time." Tony said and shook his head.

"What do you want to do until it's a good time to watch a movie?" Rhodey asked.

"Ya know, I have no idea... Pepper told FRIDAY that I can have a little while, and there are no pressing things for S.I." Tony said and shrugged.

"Do we want to install FRIDAY into the building's security?" Steve asked.

"It would be helpful, especially if people are in and out and we don't have all of you in house at once." Maria offered.

"That is, if you and she are willing, Tony." Steve said. Tony tapped his phone screen to life again.

"What do you think, my gal FRIDAY? You up to handle two buildings?" He asked.

"If I'm given enough processing power here, I think I can give it a go, boss." She replied. Tony flinched like he'd been hit, and then scrubbed his hand over his eyes.

There was a collective reaction of "Whoa" and "Are you okay, Tony?" from everyone.

"Yeah. Yeah I'm fine." Tony said suddenly and waved a hand to ward everyone off from crowding him.

"What did I say, boss?" FRIDAY asked, sounding panicked and worried. She wanted more sensors than the phone could provide her, as soon as possible. Yesterday if she could. She contemplated hacking the security features of the facility, but Vision's gentle presence wirelessly tempered her reaction without a word.

 _"Wait for instruction, FRIDAY. He has the people he can trust around him. It will be fine."_ Vision sent.

"Just, the phrase you used... I'm sorry. It has nothing to do with you, dear. JARVIS said something very similar when I'd pieced him back together after Ultron's initial attack on him." Tony said and took a long, shuddering breath.

"Right before Vision was created, I'm assuming." Steve said.

"Yeah... One of the last things he said, really." Tony said. "He was helping me convince Bruce to put him into Vision." Dum-E was close, and patted Tony's shoulder. He then turned his camera to Vision, and repeated a pattern of beeps a few times. Vision closed his eyes and concentrated.

"What is he trying to say?" Natasha asked.

"1. e4" Tony translated automatically. Everyone other than Rhodey, Vision, Clint, and Wanda adopted a look of surprise.

"I knew it was a language. I knew he was just like R2-D2." Clint said.

Before anyone else could say anything, Vision spoke suddenly. "e5" He said. Dum-E raised his camera and beeped again.

"2. Nf3" Tony said, his eyes growing round with wonder.

"Nc6" Vision said. Dum-E nodded eagerly, chattering excitedly at Tony and then looked back to Vision and beeped once more. Rhodey caught on and smiled wide.

"3. Bb5" Tony said for his bot.

"a6" Vision replied. A few happy tears ran down Tony's face unbidden, but he didn't attempt to hide them. Dum-E sounded off again.

"4. Ba4"

"Nf6" Vision responded.

"Okay, I'll bite. Is this some kind of diagnostic?" Sam finally asked.

"Chess." Rhodey said, as if that explained everything.

"It's the Ruy Lopez opening. Dummy doesn't teach it to just anyone." Tony said, and wiped his cheek. "But he did teach it to JARVIS to keep himself on his toes when they played against one another."

"JARVIS and Dum-E played chess?" Maria asked. She was smiling, but astounded.

"In the very early days, sure. It was a good way to see how JARVIS' logic processing was coming along, and it kept Dummy out of trouble in the lab." Tony said. Dum-E swung around from his conversation with Vision, and spun his grasping claw, angling it like a dog tilting its head. He advanced on Tony, much like a dog or child might in order to score a treat from an adult. He nudged at Tony's elbow when Tony raised his eyebrow, not buying into Dum-E's cute routine at all for a moment. Dum-E changed tactics and finally started 'nibbling' on Tony's beard, and that was when Tony's face cracked into a squished, goofy smile. Dum-E beeped as though he was quietly pleased with himself. "Yes I know that you know I love you. Even if you're a manipulative shit." He murmured to the bot.

Tony hear the click of several camera phones and he couldn't be compelled to care other than to wave his middle finger in the general direction of Rhodey and Clint.

It was a simple matter of a few hard wires and some code to connect FRIDAY with the rest of the building, and she felt much better that she could check on Tony through the security cameras and sensors the system had, even if they were more limited than the tower. She celebrated by singing Molly Malone over the PA system, and Dum-E joined in. So did Steve when he could get a breath between laughing.

"That's the difference, Tony." Steve said afterward.

"Difference between what?" Tony asked.

"Between Ultron and JARVIS, FRIDAY, Dum-E, and now Vision... You made sure that they had humanity to start. Educated them like children, brought them up to care. Ultron didn't have that nurturing." Steve said, happy that he understood on that level. Tony smiled shyly, and then slyly, at Steve.

"If we hook up, I am going to make it so good for you." Tony said, and let Steve have a glimpse of the smoldering bedroom eyes that had won over all those cover models back in the day.

"I'd say it's probably a matter of when at this point." Steve said, and gave Tony a wink.

"When. I can deal with when." Tony said.

"Let's go with eventual foregone conclusion." Steve mused.

"Okay." Tony said, as he nodded, and rewarded Steve with a brilliant, real smile.

"Let's go for a walk." Steve said.

"Walk where?"

"Outside, Tony. I am not having you develop rickets to go along with your malnutrition." Steve said.

"Right, outside. Rhodey convinced me to go camping a few times." Tony said.

"I assure you that it won't be as rustic. They've taken to grooming the trails here. Nothing too intensive." Steve assured.

"I'm not going to shatter, Rogers." Tony insisted.

"I know. That's why we're going for a walk." Steve teased as he got to his feet. Tony sighed and followed him.

 

"So it's not open spaces that kick up your anxiety." Steve said when they were among the trees.

"No, it's mainly not being able to trust people. And often enough it's people I trust who end up giving me the shaft, so you can see why I'm kinda screwed up about it."

"How do you mean?"

"For example, I can trust Rhodey 99.98% of the time." Tony said.

"What do you mean?"

"He stole the initial War Machine suit from me... Granted, I was actually sort of trying to give it to him. I tried to get him on the ground floor of the Iron Man project. But he was caught up in his service and that's fine... I mean, I was an absolute mess at the time. Dying of palladium poisoning due to the Mark II chest piece... I wasn't exactly in my right mind. Close, but not exactly. Anyway, I got fucked up at my birthday party and stupidly stepped into the armour. Rhodey, in an effort to bring me down, stepped into the Mark II, which wasn't a bad idea. The party was getting out of hand. He ended up taking off with it... But the armour isn't cheap. Can easily get into the tens or hundreds of millions per, and that's just for initial assembly. I was never compensated by the military for its use. Not that that really matters. I love Rhodey. It doesn't matter... I wanted him to take over if I did end up dying... But he didn't have to be so cold about it. What he did, it's nothing I can't forgive him for. It's nothing compared to what I've put him through."

"That doesn't make it right, Tony."

"I know... But, you end up hurting people you love sometimes, and it was especially easy to want to hurt me back then. Rhodey was worried about me the whole time, Steve. But I didn't know how to admit to everyone, that even after all I'd been through, I was still dying. They all just assumed the arc reactor was a pretty nightlight, a showy piece of tech, and not the thing that was barely keeping me alive... Except for Rhodey. He saw how desperate and lost I was. He could see that I didn't have an answer for Palladium to hand, as I usually do... At the time, the periodic table of the elements just didn't bend that way... He tried to tell me that I didn't have to do it alone. I wish I could have let him help, but I didn't know how... I could tell that Rhodey thought he was going to have to look his mom in the eyes and tell her I was dead, and that would have broken both of them for a while."

Steve halted their walk and firmly, but gently, pulled Tony into a hug. "I'm so sorry that you had to feel like there was no way out, Tony." He said into Tony's hair. Tony let out a breath slowly.

"It's over, Steve. Years ago now. Before you were out of the ice."

"I know, but I can still feel sympathy and sorry that someone I care about almost died, and that they felt all alone while it was happening." Steve said. His embrace on Tony loosened, but he stayed close, Tony's body pressed up against his.

"Fury left Coulson there, making sure I got to work on saving my life. Overall, other than the threat of a tazer, he was a pretty tame mistress."

"Coulson threatened to tazer you? I didn't figure him for that."

"Oh Steve, he could have given so many people a run for their money. It's the quiet ones that surprise you... He tailed me, but he let me sneak off for a field trip to S.I. to talk to Pepper. We were on the rocks then professionally too... Natasha was working undercover at S.I. to keep an eye on Pepper and myself, and she gave me the stink eye for even being there. I realized later that it was only because she thought I was wasting time when I should have been working... I was trying to tell Pepper that I wasn't okay, but she was so damn busy. I'd just made her CEO in case I did die. I knew she'd keep S.I. away from getting back into weapons manufacturing... She was on her way to catch a plane, and Pepper thought I was just being a burden, which I sort of was, because I couldn't find the words."

"You were dying, Tony." Steve said softly.

"But she didn't know that. She didn't know until after I'd fixed it, and at the same time Natasha, Rhodey, and me took out some nasty Hammer tech and a crackpot who put an RT into whips... Fucking whips, Steve... Christ my life is so weird."

"Tell me about it." Steve agreed, and suddenly the mood was light again and they both laughed quietly. Steve nodded his head to a nearby ridge. "Come on, the view up there is great." He said, and they continued on. "How did you find the new element?"

"Howard, actually. Well sort of. He left me a Gordian Knot of clues to sift through, and then I still had to build a goddamn particle collider in my basement to create it. Had to squish the particles together myself, like mama used to make... Part of what I needed was in the cutting room floor parts of a film of him introducing the Stark Expo. He said that he was limited by the technology of his time, but that I would unlock the key to the energy revolution... He called me his greatest creation. That may be a nice thought, but he couldn't fucking pay ransom for just another creation when it got kidnapped, ya know? No wonder I only ever felt like I could trust JARVIS." Tony said and shook his head. He was silenced as they crested the ridge, and suddenly looked out over a valley. A stream tumbled down the hillside, and the distance was filled with farms and trees.

"Holy shit. Nice spot." Tony said.

"I know, right? I never had this as a kid in Brooklyn. Not like this, anyway."

"How do you deal with it? With losing your best friend, I mean. Vision is amazing... But..."

"He's not JARVIS... It's day by day. Some days are better than others. Given that Buck's still alive, even if we bring him home, he's not who he once was. He doesn't remember what we had. And even if he's worked through Hydra's brainwashing, I don't know how healthy our relationship would be if we just tried to jump back in. I didn't really get to mourn him for so long, and then there he is, alive, but not who I used to know, not really. When we find him, if he wants to come in from the cold, I will celebrate. I love him. He was all I had for a long time, and that was okay. But I've got a life now, Tony. I have work I like, a family of sorts, made up of friends I love, and someone who looks back at me with the same kind of wonder I have when I look at him... And it's not... Because of this." Steve waved his hand over his abdomen.

"You look at me like Erskine did. You look like you get just as much joy out of me snarking back at someone in authority, or when I discover something new... Like you get joy just out of being around me." Steve said. Tony stepped in next to Steve, so their bodies were grazing against one another.

"Can I kiss you now? Are we that far along?" Tony asked. "I'm not used to really working at this. I don't know what a normal timeline is for physical affection. I mean, I can be all Catholic school about it and leave room for the Holy Spirit or whatever below the waist-" Tony said. Steve let out a bark of laughter and then planted a kiss on Tony's lips, while he was still laughing. Tony felt the rhythm of Steve's chest against his, and he was swept up in Steve's mirth. The setting and the sunshine were perfect. After so long without anything good, it was almost overwhelming to his mind and senses. He wrapped his arm around Steve's shoulders and neck and hung on for dear life. The kiss ended, but Steve leaned his forehead against Tony's.

"That was nice." Steve said, breathless.

"Goddamn right." Tony said. "It's one of my areas of expertise."

"I can see that. I haven't had a kiss like that since Peggy. I assume that's where you learned it from."

"Oh god... Oh no... NO. Not Aunt Peggy." Tony said. "You are absolutely murdering my boner here."

"I'm not wrong at all am I? She totally taught you that tongue thing." Steve said.

"I plead the fifth." Tony said and groaned, curling into Steve's chest.

"So, what did you name the element? You get to name things like that, right?" Steve asked, gracefully changing the subject.

"It isn't named officially yet. The Nobel Foundation refuses to award me the prize until I've crossed my t's and dotted my i's on the paperwork. I've kicked around a few names. They want Starkium, to honour both Howard and myself, and I flat out refused that... I was trying for Badassium, but they vetoed that. I have been thinking about it again lately though. I think I'll call it Yinsenium, because the element, and Yinsen, are the two largest contributing factors to me being able to stand here and kiss you today." Tony said.

"That's totally my cue." Steve said, and leaned in slowly to steal another kiss. Tony's eyes were wide and bright, taking in everything about the moment, he laughed lightly again as Steve's lips met his own, in a brief, sweet kiss.

"Are we going to laugh every time we kiss?" Tony asked.

"We should be so lucky." Steve said. "Now, if you laugh while I'm orating my way through that blowjob you promised, we might have an issue. Try not to drag your teeth. Or did Peggy tell you about that too?" Steve said. Tony's laughter cut the peace of the landscape, and Steve was thrilled to hear it.

"Goddammit, Steve."

"There was sex in the 40's you know... You are so easy to get. I love it. Never would have guessed." Steve said and laughed. Tony rolled his eyes and smiled, and when he pulled away, he took Steve's hand in his own.

"I'm emotionally fragile, and you're making sex jokes about my Aunt Peggy. Not cool man." Tony said as they made their way back down the ridge.

"I'm sure you'll survive somehow. I think I can make it up to you."

"You damn well better... Come on, let's get back before Rhodey's mom calls and gets upset because I left the house without my mittens on or wrapped in bubble wrap or something."

"If it means her sending more biscuits, then I'm telling her you went without a coat either." Steve teased.

"No, you don't understand. The baked goods are a warning shot. The next step is full on mothering, and trust me, if momma Rhodes is around, there will be no opportunity for narrated blow jobs." Tony countered.

"Ah, good point." Steve agreed and laughed.

-End

**Author's Note:**

> I am continuing this series in the aftermath of the Civil War trailer... I just... I can't... The feels. "So was I." ... I'm gonna go sit in a corner and fix all of this in my head, kthnxbye.


End file.
